Material serving apparatus



W C. EWALDSON ETAL MATERIAL SERVING APPARATUS April 7, 942.

Filed 00: 5, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNVE/VTORS MG. EWAL D SON R. GILL/SATTORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fl G. 4

Filed Oct. 5, 1940 w. c. EWALDSON ETAL MATERIAL SERVING APPARATUS April7, 1942.

llVVE/VTORS W.C. EWALDSON R. GILL/S BY ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 7, 1942ice 2,279,115 MATERIAL SERVING APPARATUS Waldemar o. Ewaldson,Millington, and Ran- I dall Gillis, Westfield, N. J., assignors toWestern Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporationof New York Application October 5, 1940, Serial No. 359,876 sIoiai s;till. 57-19) This invention relates to material serving ap-' paratus,and more particularly to apparatus for serving material to an advancingcore.

When strand or tape material is served to an advancing core, it isimportant that the apparatus serving the material be stopped as soon aspossible upon breakage of the material. To effectively stop such anapparatus immediately upon breakage of the material, the stopping meansshould, it is believed, be associated directly with the material. Thispresents a difficult problem, especially when the material including thesupply rotates with a serving head at a rapid rate of speed about thecore, to which the material is being served, ,and the power means forrotating the serving head is an electric motor located remotelytherefrom. I

An object of the invention is to provide a material serving apparatuseffectively controlled by the material served thereby to automaticallystop upon breakage of the material.

With this and other objects in view, the invention comprises a servinghead driven by power means, such as an electric motor, to wrap materialfrom a supply about an advancing core, the material including the supplybeing carried by the serving head, and in travelling to the" core holdsa control element in an inoperative position until the material breaks,at which time the element'renders the power means ineffective, for

example, by opening an electric circuit to a driving motor.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdetailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying;

drawings, wherein-'- 1 Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of theapparatus, portions thereof being broken away;

Fig. 2is a side elevational view ofthe apparatus, a'portion thereofbeing broken away;

with spaced aligned bearings l2 and 13 in which a hollow shaft I4 isrotatably disposed.

A core l5 which is to be served with material Hi from a pad or supplyI1, is advanced longitudinally through the shaft M. A sleeve 20 isdisposed concentric with the shaft 14 between the 40 Fig. 3 is anenlarged fragmentary sideeleva bearings 12 and I3 and is keyed to theshaft for positive connection therewith. A sprocket wheel 21 is mountedupon'the sleeve and fixed thereto, a chain 22 operatively connecting thesprocket wheel 2| with a sprocket wheel 23 driven by power means such asan electric motor 24.

A serving head, indicated generally at 28, includes a disk-like member29 mounted upon the shaft I4 for rotation therewith. The shaft l4extends forwardly or to the right (Fig. 1) a sufficient distance tosupport cone heads 30 and 3|,

the former being fixed to the shaft and the latter being removablymounted thereon through a threaded connection therewith. Radiallyprojecting pins or members 32 of the cone head 3! enable the operator tocause relative rotation of the cone head 3| and the shaft M to removethe cone head for the positioning of a new pad of material I! concentricwith the shaft and between the cone'heads 30 and 3|, where the pad isheld with sufficient frictional contact to apply a desired tension onthe material being drawn therefrom. The material I6 in passing fromthesupply I! to the core [5 passes successively I around rollers 35, 36,31, 38 and 39. The rollers 35, 31 and 38 are rotatably carried by themem-' ber 29, the roller 39 being mounted for adjustment on a bracket 40supported by the member 29. The material in passing from'the roller 31to the roller 33, passes over the roller 36, which may be termed atension roller, mounted upon a tension arm 4|. The tension arm M ispivotally supported at 42 upon the member 29 and may be operativelyassociated with any suitable brake A means (not shown) to applyadditional tension to the supply if so desired. In the present invstance the tension arm M is normally urged counterclockwise by suitablemeans such as a spring 43.

A control unit is i dicated generally at 48 and consists of a bent arm49 of the contour shown in Figs. 3 and 4 extending from its free end 50in engagement with the material l6 near the tension roller 35. From thefree end 50 the arm extends between the material and the member 29 to aportion 5| which extends through and is secured in an aperture of apivot member or shaft 52. The shaft 52 is journalled in a hearing 53 andhas an actuating arm or member 55 fixed to the other end therof. The arm55 projects outwardly in one direction from the shaft 52' as shown inFig. 3, and provides a connection56 extending in the opposite directionfor connection with one end of a spring 51, the other end of mountedupon the member 29 (Fig. 4)

the spring being fixed at 58 to the member 29. The spring 51 hassufficient force to rotate the shaft 52 with its arms 49 and 55 but willnot interfere with the travel of the material past the end portion 50 ofthe arm 49. Furthermore, the size and weight of the arm 49 as comparedto the size and weight of the arm 55 are such that centrifugal force,acting onthe arm 49, is suflicient to overbalance the force acting onthe arm 55 and reduce the force required of the spring 51 to the extentthat the spring desired, be eliminated.

A switch 60 of a spring actuated type is mounted upon a bracket 6| whichin turn-is mountedupon the portion ll of the housing It]. A-plunger 62is conditioned to complete an electric circuit through conductors 63 and64 to the'motor 24 by closing the switch 69 when moved inwardly againstthe tension of a spring (not shown). A switch lever 66 pivoted at 51upon the bracket 61, is conditioned to hold the plunger 62 in closedposition as long as the material l6 remains unbroken. The switch lever66 is of the general contour shown in Figs. 3 and 4, one end 10 of thelever extending in one direction free of the arm 55 when the army is inthe solid line position but in the path of the arm when the armis in thedotted line position. The other end "H of the lever 66 extendsin adirectionopposite' the end and over the plunger 62 to hold the switch 60closed. The end ll of they lever has rounded edges '13 (Fig. 3) tofacilitate relative, move ment. of the lever and the plunger by theoperator upon conditioning the apparatus for operation.

It should be understood that another or main control switch will'beincluded in the circuit to the motor for operation by the operator afterthe. switch 60 has been closed. Themain pur pose of the switch 69 andthecontrol means is to stop the motorimmediately upon breakage of thematerial and is not used alone in starting the motor.

In order that the lever 66' will not be rotated farther than necessaryand. will be held out'of further engagement with the arm 55 when oncereleased from its plunger thereby, tapered camlikesurfaces '(Figs'. 3and Q) are formed for engagement with spaced stop pins 16 carried by thebracket 6|.

During the operation. of the apparatus, the motor 24 drives the shaft l4in either direction, the shaft being driven clockwise in the presentinstance. The rotation of the shaft I4 inthis direction also causes therotation of the serving;

head in the same direction, wrapping the material l6 spirallyabout thecore while the latter advances longitudinally through the shaft.Therefore, the entire material, including the supply l|-, until it isserved to the core, rotates with the serving head. During'the' travel ofthe ma--' terial from the supply to the core, a desired may, if

ment with the serving head brings it to that position. The lever 65will, therefore, be moved about its pivot when struck by the arm 55,moving the end portion 'H thereof free of the plunger 62 causing openingof the circuit to the motor and thus stopping operation of the appa-'ratus for rotation of the serving head. Movement of the lever 66 willbe rapid and with sufficient force to cause one of the cam surfaces 15to ride on its respective projection 16 to hold the lever againstfurther movement.

As stated in the foregoing description of the operation, the motor 24may drive the shaft H in either direction. In doing this the servinghead may be driven in either direction. Therefore, if the serving headshould be rotated counterclockwise, the'same result will be accomplishedif the material should break, the arm 55 of the control unit being movedinto the path including the portion 10 of the switch lever regardless ofwhich direction the serving head is located.

One of the important features of the invention which permits rotation ofthe serving head in either direction is the mounting of the switch on astationary support free 'of the serving head; This also eliminatescomplicated structures and possible frequent trouble in effectivenessof, operation should'the switch be carriedby the serving head.

The, embodiment of the invention herein disclosed is illustrative and;may be widely modified tension is applied to the'material to cause thematerial to lie evenly on the core. If thistension should vary orif"other causes might. arise to break the material, the arm 49, which isheld in an inoperative position by the material, will be released,allowing the spring 51 to move the control unit 48 into its operativeposition. 'The spring 51', therefore, rotates the shaft 52. (Figs. 2and: 3), moving the arm 55 from the solid lineposition shown in Fig. 3to a position in thepath including the end portion"!!! of the switchlever 66. It is important to bear in mind thatthe switch and its switchlever 66 remain stationand departed from in various ways withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as pointed out inand limited solely by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A material serving apparatus comprising a.

rotatable serving head, an electric motor: to cause rotation of theserving head relative to a longitudinally advancing core, an electricalswitchincluded' in an electrical circuit with the motor, materialcarried by the serving head and directed to the core, and a control unitheld in a position free of the switch by the material and imovable toactuate the switch to open the circuit to the motor upon breakage of thematerial.

- 2. A material serving. apparatus comprising a rotatableserving head,an electric motor to cause rotation of the'serving head relative to alongitudinally' advancing core, an electrical switch included in anelectrical circuit with the motor,

material carried by the serving head and directed to the core, an armmovable with the serving head and held free of the switch by thematerial, and means to move the arm in a position to cause actuation ofthe switch to open the circuit to the motor upon breakage of thematerial; I

3. A material serving apparatus comprising 'a' rotatable serving head,an electric motor to cause rotation of the serving head relative to alongitudinally advancing core, an electrical switch included in anelectrical circuit with the motor, an. element movable into operativeand inoperative positions to respectively effect actuation of the switchto close and open the circuit, mate-- rial carried by the serving headand directed to the core, and a control unit held in a position free ofthe element by the material and movable to move the element into itsinoperative position upon breakage of the material.

4. A material serving apparatus comprising a rotatable serving head, anelectric motor to cause rotation of the serving head relative to alongitudinally advancing core, an electrical switch included in anelectrical circuit with the motor, an element movable into operative andinoperative positions to respectively efiect actuation of the switch toclose and open the circuit, material carried by the serving head anddirected to the core, a control unit held in a position free of theelement by the material and movable to move the element into itsinoperative position upon breakage of the material, and means to holdthe element in its inoperative position.

5. A material serving apparatus comprising a rotatable serving head, anelectric motor to cause rotation of the serving head relative to alongitudinally advancing core, an electrical switch included in anelectrical circuit with the motor,

an element having a tapered surface and movable into operative andinoperative positions to respectively effect actuation of the switch toclose and open the circuit, material carried by the serving head anddirected to the core, a control unit held inra position free of theelement by the material and movable to move the element into itsinoperative position upon breakage of the material, and meanscooperating with the said tapered surface to hold the element in itsinoperative position.

6. A material serving apparatus comprising a rotatable serving head, anelectric motor to cause rotation of the serving head relative to alongitudinally advancing core, an electrical switch mounted on astationary support free of the serving head and included in anelectrical circuit with the motor, material carried by the serving headand directed to the core, and a control unit held in a position free ofthe switch by the material and movable to actuate the switch to open thecircuit to the motor upon breakage of the material.

7. A material serving apparatus comprising a rotatable serving head,electrically operated power means to rotate the serving head relative toa longitudinally advancing core to be served, an electrical switch tocontrol an electrical circuit including the power means and mountedagainst rotation with the serving head an element positionable to causeclosing of the switch,

material carried by the serving head and directed to the core, a movablemember rotatable with the serving head and held free of the element bythe'material, and means to movethe member into a path to engage theelement upon breakage of the material to cause the element to efiectopening of the switch.

8. A material serving apparatus comprising a rotatable serving head,material carried by the serving head and directed to a longitudinallyadvancing core, an electrical motor'adapted to rotate the serving headin either direction to serve the material in either direction to thecore, an electrical switch included in an electrical circuit with themotor, and a control unit held in a position free of the switch by thematerial and movable in either direction with the serving head toactuate the switch to open the circuit to the motor uponbreakage of thematerial. I

WALDEMAR G'EWALDSO N. RANDALL GILLIS.

